The Anchoress
Watching Benedict exit the plane in DC and greet President & Mrs. Bush and Jenna Bush,* I was struck by the difference in his body language vs John Paul II.
John Paul would greet someone by clasping their hands in both of his and leaning in toward them. Benedict extends one hand and leans slightly back. He’s true introvert, and he looked touchingly surprised at the young people hooting and singing “Happy Birthday” to him.
He is nothing like John Paul II except in faith, but for all he lacks JP’s vibrant charisma, there is something about Benedict and his sweetly humble persona, that draws you in. Viva Papa!
Sissy Willis and I exchanged emails and wondered – and we are not the first to do so, obviously – if President Bush, who is inarguably the most “Catholic” president we’ve ever had, will pull a Tony Blair and enter into full communion with the Catholic church after he leaves office. I wondered at how unusual it was for a president to go to the airport to, essentially, “pick up” the pope and she writes: [Bush meeting Benedict at Andrews AFB ] “makes it known to the world that the Leader of the Free World is humble before the Vicar of Christ . . .”
Some might argue the use of the word “humble,” but I do think it demonstrates the leader of the free world “making way” for the Vicar of Christ. And it is very dramatic. It’s a little earthquake, really, but not everyone will feel it.
Meanwhile, our bishop has decided that rather than plug the local Catholic channel into EWTN – which would make too much sense – they’ve got the Vatican feed in, “anchored” by locals. Ugh. He could have saved the money and gone with the network.
UPDATE: Sr. Lorraine is looking at Benedict’s encyclical on Hope and wondering why we don’t “offer it up” anymore. And the Media Research gang is keeping tabs on all the times the press calls Benedict a “hardliner”. My favorite is the one who suggests that Americans are “fearful” of the pope.
I don’t think the press realizes that their words will not match up with the pictures of this gentleman. The public will catch the cognitive dissonance before the press will realize that they’ve once again hurt their own credibility.
*[edited for clarity – admin]
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